We're not going to sugar-coat it: This has been a dismal week on both sides of the Atlantic, with two mass shootings here and a devastating fire over there (on the heels of three terrorist incidents in the last couple of months).

In other words, we needed a Prince George and Princess Charlotte sighting more than ever.

And conveniently, due to Saturday's edition of the Trooping the Colour parade (marking the official observation of Queen Elizabeth II's 91st birthday), we got one.

The youngest royals were kept inside Buckingham Palace while parents Prince William and Duchess Kate hit the parade route. But they were clearly curious about all the hubbub.

Eventually, the rest of the royal family returned to the Palace — specifically the balcony — for the Royal Air Force's traditional flyover, the traditional finale to the Trooping the Colour festivities featuring lots of horses and troops clad in fiery red uniforms on parade.

This year's edition was not as festive as usual, given the apartment-building fire, the bombing at Manchester Arena and the terrorist attacks on Westminster and London bridges, and the queen acknowledged that in her statement.

"Today is traditionally a day of celebration. This year, it is difficult to escape a very somber national mood," she wrote. But she ended on a note of determination: "Put to the test, the United Kingdom has been resolute in the face of adversity. United in our sadness, we are equally determined, without fear or favor, to support all those rebuilding lives so horribly affected by injury and loss."